Record Group 80.02 Classes, Smith College Archives, box 1584, folder 17.
Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
| Year | Event | Notes |
| 1874 | Born in Washington, D.C. | Parents: Lucy McGuinn and John Wesley Cromwell |
| 1895-1897 | Teaches and takes classes at Howard University | After graduating from the Miner Normal School in Washington, D.C. |
| 1898 | Enters Smith as a Junior | Otelia had been taking classes at Howard University while teaching before transferring to Smith College. |
| 1898-1899 | Lived at 190 Roundhill Road | Otelia was not allowed to live on campus for the duration of her time at Smith. Instead for her junior year she lived with a sophomore named Inez Louise Wiggins, off-campus. |
| 1899-1900 | Lived at 275 Main Street | For her senior year, Otelia remained off campus, with no other Smith students. |
| 1900 | Graduates from Smith College | Otelia Cromwell was the first Black graduate of Smith College. |
Smith College Archives, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
Activity: Put yourself in Otelia's shoes. Imagine being delibreately isolated within a closed community. For some of us it is easier to empathize with Otelia's experiences than others. But I challenge you to think and feel deeper. Imagine you're the first. How does this thinking make you feel? Reflect, explain it to a friend. Share in empathy.